The Perspectives in the Story
by RositaLG
Summary: Begins with the B&B reunion during The Mastodon in the Room. Will be a compilation of one shot scenes rewritten from multiple viewpoints. More info inside.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I got this idea to rewrite a bunch of canon scenes from multiple perspectives about a year ago but this has just been sitting in my notes. It's time to set it free! This first one is set during Mastodon and it starts with Booth's side of the story and then switches to Brennan's. Be forewarned: it's not strictly canon, I took some liberties. Let me know what you think and if you like it, review, PM, or tweet me (RositaLG) with a scene that you would like to see written from both sides. It doesn't have to be B&B or even just two people. That would be interesting, actually. *ponders multiple perspectives of one scene*. Anyway, let me know. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!**

OOOOO

Booth was exhausted. He had been flying for over twenty four hours and at this point, he wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the nearest flat surface and sleep for a week. However, he had promised to be here and he was a man of his word. He came around the corner and spotted the bench almost immediately.

He had known why he was coming but he had forgotten just what an effect his partner had on him. A full year of being apart from her had made him forget why he had left in the first place. At the sight of her smiling face, he stopped moving, stopped breathing. How could he have ever forgotten this? She looked beautiful under the night sky and he had a sudden flashback to standing outside that bar in the rain, and again, outside of the Hoover building only a year ago. Bones in the moonlight. He should have known better than to meet her like this. He should have transitioned himself back into her presence at a slower pace.

She stood up, that ever-present curious and analytical look in her eyes but a smile on her face. He realized that he had been frozen in place for a few seconds so he did the only thing that he had the strength to do at the moment: he opened his arms and let her close the distance between them.

The way that she fit so perfectly in his arms did not go unnoticed by him. He couldn't help but inhale that perfectly wonderful scent that he had simultaneously grown to love and hate. She would always be his undoing; no amount of running in the world could save him from this unknown pull that always found its way into his heart when she was around. He couldn't control his hands as they found their way to their favorite spot on her body, pressing her closer to him for a fraction of a second before letting her go.

She had cut her hair. He didn't know why but for some reason, it bothered him. It was a blaring reminder that she had had an entirely different life while they were apart that he knew nothing about. The Bones in his memory wasn't the Bones that was standing here. Would that make this whole reunion easier? Would it soothe the pain that he was fully expecting to appear the first time she mentioned another man? He reached out and swiped at her new bangs playfully, hoping that she wouldn't notice.

"Hi." It was a start.

"Hi." She said, sounding glad to see him. There was something hiding behind her eyes that said she was holding back. He ignored it, knowing exactly why. She was trying to preserve him from the pain that she knew that she caused him. She was a great partner, even towards the end, wanting only the best for him. She knew that she couldn't give him what he needed, and so once again, she had pulled away, just as she had in that cab all those years ago. He hated himself for being the reason that she had to shut down after he had spent so long getting her to open up.

"How are you?" She asked politely. If it were anyone else, Booth knew that he would not be standing here right now.

"Tired." He said instead. "But glad to be home." He added, hoping that she wouldn't be offended by his answer. "You?"

"The same." She smiled. "But it's very good to see you." He felt his heart grow just a little bit lighter at her words.

"You too." He smiled back as he stared at her, his exhaustion mixing with that stupidly happy feeling that only she could bring out in him.

"Can we sit down?" She asked as she pointed over towards the steps.

"Yeah, good idea." He said, thankful for the rest. "I've, uh, I've got some news." He told her as he sat down next to her. He took a deep breath, preparing for task of telling her this partnership altering news. "I met someone while I was in Afghanistan." He watched her eyes widen in surprise.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah. Her name is Hannah. She's a war correspondent." He said as he pulled out his phone. He smiled proudly as he looked at the image, missing her already.

"How did you two meet?" She asked and he could hear the restrained curiosity in her voice.

"I arrested her for being in a restricted area."

"You arrested me once." She reminded him and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. As if he could forget.

"Yeah, I remember." He grinned.

"Where is she now?" Brennan asked.

"In Iraq."

"Is it serious?" Booth paused, only for a second. Her question, and the meaning behind it, filtered through his brain. He had to answer honestly, that's what she would want, but something about it felt wrong when he replied:

"As serious as a heart attack."

"Heart attacks are very serious." She said.

"Yes they are. Very serious." He agreed, hoping that by being blatant, he had laid down a clear message. When they had left, he had told her he needed to move on. Things had been messy and complicated but now that was over. He had someone else in his life now but their partnership would be better off because of it. He was sure of it.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Brennan watched as Booth walked around the corner, his duffel bag still hanging over his shoulder. Her heart fluttered in her chest at merely the sight of him again. She had missed him desperately while she had been away and frankly, returning to him was the only thing that had gotten her through the dig in one piece. She smiled as he stopped dead in his tracks, finally spotting her on the bench. She stood up, wondering why he was just standing there staring at her. He didn't say a word; he simply dropped the duffel and held out his arms. She grinned and didn't fight the urge to run into his arms and hold him close to her.

She held onto him for just a fraction too long. His body had certainly changed while he was away. It was his shoulders that tore her self-discipline in two. She had always had a weakness for them, but with his new physique, those perfectly shaped scapulas were making her come undone at a rapid pace. He felt strong, solid and safe under her fingertips. It was all so utterly…Booth. She couldn't help but smile as he ran his hand over the small of her back, a familiar action that caused her to realize what she was doing. This was Booth.

She pulled away, knowing that she must be the reason he had remained silent. She never knew how to act around him but he was always so charming and gallant anyway, a blaring reminder of their inequality, of all of her social ineptness. Here she was, clinging to him after she had promised him closure. She couldn't stand here now and love him. She had let him go, and now she must deal with the consequences of her actions. It was simple physics: cause and effect. He reached out to fix her hair and she felt completely self-conscious.

"Hi." He said with his kind but obviously tired smile. He was acting again, playing the gentleman because that was what he had always done for her. She felt ashamed at herself for being so selfish. It was time to stop using him. She couldn't ask him to do it anymore.

"Hi." She sounded confident, self-assured. She wouldn't have believed that it was actually her speaking, but she had done it. She had even managed to smile a little, although, he would most definitely be able to tell that it was not sincere. Maybe he was too tired to notice. Maybe being away for a year had dulled his fine eye for interpersonal details.

No. He had definitely noticed. The flicker of pain in his eyes was hidden, but there.

"How are you?" She asked.

"Tired." He replied, honestly. "But glad to be home. You?"

"The same." She smiled. "But it's very good to see you."

"You too." He smiled back at her. She saw the exhaustion in his eyes and she motioned towards the steps.

"Can we sit down?" She asked.

"Yeah, good idea." He said. "I've, uh, I've got some news." Brennan looked at him curiously and awaited what might come next. "I met someone while I was in Afghanistan." She didn't fight the look of surprise that crossed her features.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Her name is Hannah. She's a war correspondent." He said as he pulled out his phone. Brennan examined the beautiful blonde woman and fought the urge to sigh. She could have picked her out of a line up. Booth was a man who definitely had a type.

"How did you two meet?" She asked, trying to be supportive while still getting all of the good information.

"I arrested her for being in a restricted area."

"You arrested me once." She reminded him with a smile.

"Yeah, I remember." He grinned.

"Where is she now?" She asked, secretly hoping that he didn't say DC.

"In Iraq." She exhaled in relief.

"Is it serious?"

"As serious as a heart attack." He said and Brennan felt her throat tighten against her will.

"Heart attacks are very serious." She said, realizing that this might actually be the person she had been expecting for the past five years. The one who finally took him (and his attention) away from her.

"Yes they are. Very serious." Brennan stared at him. He looked happy, confident, sure. It was in that moment, she knew. He had moved on.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This one is from Brennan and Booth's individual perspectives during 'Verdict'. The Bones people were clever and did a lot of editing in this scene so I apologize for the random "cut to" lines that pop up but I'm fairly certain you've all seen the episode and can sort it all out.**

OOOOO~BRENNAN~OOOOO

"Was anyone else present at all three locations?" The defense lawyer asked.

"Me. But I didn't kill the deputy director of the FBI." Booth answered cheekily. Brennan knew that his charm was a big factor in winning over juries and in the past, she had been grateful. Now, she was more concerned.

"You had motive." The lawyer pointed out. "He fired you that day and threatened Ms. Julian. By the way, was she at all three locations?" He asked pointedly.

"Objection! It's just rude to accuse me of murder." Carolyn interrupted, affronted by the accusation from her ex-husband.

"I count three people in this courtroom, besides my client, who had motive to kill Kirby." He argued.

"I'll allow it." Judge Haddoes said with a wave of his hand. Brennan felt a surge of hope at the authorization. It meant that he was willing to concede to the idea.

"Ms. Julian was never at the crime scene, so you're stuck with me." Booth said and Brennan inwardly frowned at the immediate reduction in the number of suspects.

"And Dr. Brennan." The lawyer suggested. Brennan watched Booth's reaction to the statement and wondered how Booth would take the suggestion that she had murdered someone within her own apartment.

"I see where you're going with this." Booth said, recognizing the ploy immediately for what it was. She sighed and leaned back in her chair, figuring that he had just shot their last chance to defend her father straight to Hell.

"Was Dr. Temperance Brennan at the seminary?" The lawyer asked.

(Cut to Brennan on the stand)

"Yes." Brennan answered truthfully.

"And your apartment the same day?"

"Yes." She replied again. The lawyer held up the murder weapon for everyone to see.

"Do you recognize this?"

"Yes. It's mine." She answered willingly. She could see Booth fidgeting in his seat at her answers and she knew that this was probably driving him crazy. It was his job to catch the bad guy and she was deliberately stopping him from doing his job.

For the first time in their partnership, she was working for the wrong side.

"So you are every bit as plausible a suspect as your father." The lawyer surmised for the jury's benefit more than her own.

(Cut to Sweets on the stand)

"Dr. Brennan is hyper-rational. She's capable of rationalizing almost anything." Sweets informed the court. Brennan normally hated psychology, but today she was grateful that the young psychologist didn't know any better. She needed his ridiculous judgments on her side.

"Including murder."

"It is the danger of the totally rational human being." Sweets confirmed. Brennan glanced at her father and silently thanked Sweets for his unknowing cooperation in her plan.

"But did she have a motive?" The lawyer asked.

(Cut to Booth on the stand)

"Yes, she had motive. Kirby tried to kill her brother." Booth acknowledged.

"Thank you." The lawyer said as he finished his line of questions. Brennan had warned him that Booth would fight this. He was an honorable man and he would never lie. He believed in the system. They all knew that he had to get Booth off the stand as quickly as possible to avoid him ruining this for them.

"Bones was with me all day." He added, not willing to let the unspoken assumption rest. She inwardly sighed at his supplementary information. He couldn't leave well enough alone.

"She didn't have time to commit this murder?" The lawyer asked, his tone indicating otherwise. Suddenly, Brennan wondered if the lawyer had planned for it to happen that way. If he had planned on Booth's outburst, maybe he had even laid the bait to make it seem spontaneous. She was suddenly very grateful she could afford the best defense lawyer in DC.

"No, she did not." Booth replied confidently.

"How did your son Parker get home from school that day?" Brennan watched as Booth frowned slightly as he realized that his previous answer was incorrect. He looked upset with himself for falling into the lawyer's trap.

"Forty five minutes we were apart, but we talked on the phone." He said, as if that would make a difference.

"Plenty of time, wasn't it Agent Booth?" She watched as Booth contemplated all of the facets of the case against the scenario the lawyer was proposing. "Dr. Brennan could have burned the body hours later when you were safe at home." There was a long pause as Booth refused to give an answer.

"The witness will answer the question." Brennan stopped breathing as Booth took a long look at her.

"That's a lot of heart, Bones." He said, directly to her. She tried to look certain, to silently let him know that this was what she wanted. She begged him with her eyes to play along, to not make trouble for her.

"Your Honor…" The lawyer said, wanting to get an answer out of the agent.

"Answer the question please, Agent Booth."

"Could Bones have killed Kirby? Temperance Brennan – I've worked with this woman. I've stood over death with her, I've faced down death with her. And Sweets, he's brilliant, he is, but he's wrong. She could not have done this." He said matter of factly.

"I didn't ask you your opinion of Dr. Brennan's character. I asked you, did she have time?" The lawyer said, getting to the point. Booth glanced back to Brennan, knowing that he would have to answer the question. She was certain he would yell at her later, but now, she just needed him to cooperate.

_I know, but please? For me? _She begged silently.

"Yes. She had time." Booth relented.

OOOOO~BOOTH~OOOOO

"Was anyone else present at all three locations?" The lawyer asked.

"Me. But I didn't kill the deputy director of the FBI." Booth smiled at the suggestion.

"You had motive. He fired you that day and threatened Ms. Julian. By the way, was she at all three locations?" Booth wanted to roll his eyes but Carolyn answered for both of them.

"Objection! It's just rude to accuse me of murder." She said, offended. Booth fought a smile at her outrage.

"I count three people in this courtroom, besides my client, who had motive to kill Kirby." The lawyer argued.

"I'll allow it." The judge said. Booth sighed.

_Fine, they would do it his way._

"Ms. Julian was never at the crime scene, so you're stuck with me." Booth said, his confidence shining through. He wouldn't be shaken by these ridiculous accusations.

"And Dr. Brennan." Booth stared at the lawyer. That one hit a bit closer to home. When he was being attacked, sure, that was one thing, but Bones? The light bulb clicked and suddenly, Brennan's conversation at the diner made a lot more sense. She was going to try and pin this on herself.

A different interpretation of the facts.

"I see where you're going with this." He informed the lawyer, hoping the jury would recognize the tactic as well, especially if he blatantly pointed it out to them.

"Was Dr. Temperance Brennan at the seminary?" The lawyer repeated.

(Cut to Brennan on the stand)

"Yes." Brennan answered truthfully. Booth wanted to shake his head as she planted the seeds of doubt in the jury's mind.

"And your apartment the same day?" The lawyer asked.

"Yes." She replied again. The lawyer held up the murder weapon for everyone to see.

"Do you recognize this?" He asked.

"Yes. It's mine." She answered willingly.

"So you are every bit as plausible a suspect as your father." He insinuated.

(Cut to Sweets on the stand)

"Dr. Brennan is hyper-rational. She's capable of rationalizing almost anything." Sweets said confidently. Booth simultaneously wanted to agree with the kid and punch him for his obliviousness about his partner. Sure, Bones was rational, but she wasn't a homicidal robot.

"Including murder."

"It is the danger of the totally rational human being." Booth couldn't argue with that and he knew that a jury couldn't either. He glanced over at the team, wondering if Angela had the right idea after all.

"But did she have a motive?"

(Cut to Booth on the stand)

"Yes, she had motive. Kirby tried to kill her brother." Booth answered reluctantly.

"Thank you." The lawyer said quickly as he practically ran behind the table again. Booth was not going to let him sit down as if that was all there was to know.

"Bones was with me all day." He added just as quickly, wanting to keep him honest. The defense was not going to get away with reasonable doubt by laying the blame on his partner, not if he had anything to say about it.

"She didn't have time to commit this murder?" The lawyer asked as he turned around again.

"No, she did not." He answered unequivocally.

"How did your son Parker get home from school that day?" Booth paused, caught in a truth he didn't want to acknowledge.

"Forty five minutes we were apart, but we talked on the phone." He defended his previous answer.

"Plenty of time, wasn't it Agent Booth?" Booth stubbornly refused to answer the question as he racked his brain for something, anything that might clear her name but he couldn't fight the flashes of images that were summoned by the question.

Bones leaning over Kirby's dead body in her apartment.

Kirby hanging from that pole while she lit him on fire.

The images were terrible and horrible and…downright plausible in the time frame that they were apart.

But it wasn't.

Not with the way that she had clung to him when she thought it was Russ who had been attacked. Booth had seen her tears, watched the sick feeling come over her as she calculated exactly how much blood had been lost to her kitchen floor. That was real. He knew it was real.

But the jury wasn't there for those moments; they didn't get to feel her racing heart pounding against his chest. They didn't get to hold her tight as she felt her world dissolve around her.

_Think fast, Seeley. There has to be something that can prove she is innocent. _

"Dr. Brennan could have burned the body hours later when you were safe at home." The lawyer added to his argument, adeptly filling the silence he was leaving.

_God, why did she have to be so difficult?_

"The witness will answer the question." Booth stared at her as he analyzed the wonderful, torturous woman in front of him. She had more heart than anyone he had ever met and no one would ever know.

But he knew.

"That's a lot of heart, Bones." He said, directly to her. It was the only dissent that he could give the maneuver in court and yet, it was also a bit of a compliment, a testament of her loyalty and strength. She would gladly trade places on death row to protect her father. It was a twisted logic, but it was hers.

"Your Honor…" The lawyer said, wanting to speed the process along.

"Answer the question please, Agent Booth." He requested and Booth let out a sigh.

"Could Bones have killed Kirby?" He mulled over his answer. "Temperance Brennan – I've worked with this woman. I've stood over death with her, I've faced down death with her. And Sweets, he's brilliant, he is, but he's wrong." He said defiantly. "She could not have done this." He told the jury, never more certain of anything in his life.

"I didn't ask you your opinion of Dr. Brennan's character. I asked you, did she have time?" The lawyer said, refusing to let him get away without answering the original question. Booth gave Brennan a look.

_I hate you for making me do this. _

She knew how he felt. He could swear she gave an imperceptible nod as she accepted his hate gladly.

God, help him, he was never going to forgive her for this one. He turned his attention back to the lawyer.

"Yes. She had time."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Remember this?! A year ago today, I posted this story and today, I found some frantically scribbled words on a sheet of notebook paper stuffed in my glove compartment that was meant to update it. So, I'm taking it a sign from the fic-writing gods that the Ides of March are good for this story. Here we go! Harbingers perspectives! This ep is in my top ten; I adore it. Here's why. **

OOOOO~BOOTH~OOOOO

Booth had known something was amiss as soon as he'd called the lab looking for Brennan and they'd said she was headed to the doctor's office to confirm the poisoning symptoms. He felt it as instinctively as he'd ever felt anything. Something was about to go wrong.

He jumped out of his car and pulled his gun before entering the building. He was halfway down the hall when he heard the clanging sound that sent him running. He saw the struggle that was in progress through the small window in the door and before he even knew what he was doing, he was acting. A singular kick through the door and an almost unified gunshot echoed throughout the small room. The doctor had taken the bullet right through the head.

As soon as the threat was eliminated, Booth's attention went entirely to making sure that Brennan was okay. Everything fell away, including his gun, as he swept her up into his arms.

"Bones, are you alright?" She wasn't looking at him and it scared him. "You okay?" He asked again.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm okay." She answered, her tone suggesting she was anything but. He glanced down to confirm her assessment for himself.

"Bones, your arm." He said in surprise at the large metal object protruding from her arm.

"What?" She glanced down to see what he was referring to. "Oh my God." Booth saw her reach for the scalpel and he knew what she was thinking.

"No, don't pull it out. Don't touch that!" He begged. Too late. She had already yanked it from her skin. "Bones!" Booth sighed as he covered her arm with his fingers. The warm blood rushing against his palm felt familiar in a strange way, intimate. "Easy. I got you." He assured her, saying it to soothe himself just as much as her.

"He tried to kill me." She whispered, the rare sound of fear choking her low voice. He pushed the unwelcome image of her bleeding out to the back of his brain and focused on making her feel safe again.

"All right, all right." He murmured, not needing an explanation. "Easy."

"I'm all right. Thank you." She was trying to calm him down, but the ghosted words that barely made it past her lips only made him feel worse.

"The ambulance is on the way, okay?" He reminded them both as he pulled her close. She clutched his arm as he shifted them to a more comfortable position.

"Keep pressure on the wound." She commanded. Booth felt a tiny bit of relief flood his senses at the bossy instructions and he closed his eyes. She was going to be okay.

"Okay, I got it. I got it. Just relax. Just trust me, all right?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew that he needed her trust for an entirely different reason. "I'll take care of you." He promised her. "Shh. I got you. Breathe. I'll take care of you, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." He kissed the top of her head, wanting to prove to her that he was there for her, both in that moment and beyond. He meant what he had said. "I got you. I got you, baby."

Booth's mind was reeling with the knowledge that he only had her in his arms at that moment because he had listened to Avalon's warning. He made a mental note to pay better attention the next time the psychic gave him advice.

OOOOO~BRENNAN~OOOOO

"You're shredding the Harbinger files…" Brennan realized out loud as she felt someone come up behind her. She turned quickly enough to realize Dr. Leacock was holding a scalpel. She frantically looked for the nearest object she could use to defend herself and decided the lamp was the best bet. She hit him as hard as she could and scurried away. She tried to run down the hall but he tripped her and she fell. She jumped up just in time to pull a cart of equipment between them and she raced towards the door, only to remember that she had locked it moments before.

She silently cursed her own stupidity.

She dodged Dr. Leacock's advances and managed to pick something up off the counter and hit him again, but his scalpel cut into her shoulder anyway. She winced but took him down with a simple defensive move. When he stood up again, he lunged at her and she blocked him with her arm. The sound of splintering wood startled her as she turned to see what had happened. She saw the brief outline of Booth's silhouette but by the time she had turned her head back to Dr. Leacock, he was lying on the ground. She fell against the counter in light-headed relief as she stared at the body, wondering if he would move. It took her a moment to realize that he was dead. Booth had managed to enter a room and put a bullet through the doctor's brain before she could even turn her head to witness it.

"Bones, are you alright? You okay?" She barely heard him ask.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm okay." She replied on autopilot. He sounded concerned and it was a natural reflex to assure him otherwise.

"Bones, your arm." He pointed out and she looked down.

"What?" She asked, wondering what he was referring to. "Oh my God." The scalpel that she had been defending herself against was wedged firmly in her arm. She hadn't even noticed. She reached for the offending object.

"No, don't pull it out. Don't touch that!" She removed it swiftly. "Bones!" Booth scolded, upset with the action. Only then did it register that she probably shouldn't have done it. Despite his anger at her inability to follow directions, Booth still clasped his hand tightly over her wound. "Easy. I got you." He assured her. The scalpel fell to the floor with a clatter.

"He tried to kill me." She explained, her breathing shallow.

"All right, all right." He murmured. "Easy." He repeated. She could tell that he wanted her to calm down.

"I'm all right. Thank you." She replied, thinking that if she told him she was fine, she might believe it herself.

"The ambulance is on the way, okay?" He informed her, obviously not buying her words either. He pulled her closer and she felt his hand lift slightly off her arm.

"Keep pressure on the wound." She panicked, finally realizing what she had done.

"Okay, I got it. I got it. Just relax." She curled up in his secure arms as he held her even tighter. She knew, even through her fog of shock, that this was stolen time. She wanted to stay there for as long as he'd let her. "Just trust me, all right? I'll take care of you. Shh. I got you. Breathe. I'll take care of you, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." The pain that seared through her arm was nothing compared to the pain that seared through her heart at his perfectly chosen words. She had almost lost him, first to a bullet, then to a tumor. She was always so scared of losing him. He kissed the top of her head reassuringly, as if he could read her thoughts and banish them from her brain with a single kiss. "I got you. I got you, baby."

As the sound of sirens broke through the murmurs of Booth's promises, Brennan finally recognized that they were sitting in the middle of a doctor's office. There were plenty of ways to stop her bleeding arm within reaching distance. But as Booth stroked her shoulder and kissed the top of her head yet again, Brennan realized that this, somehow, was the better option.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Just a head's up, this fic isn't ever going to get normal attention. I just add a chapter whenever the muse strikes, and that's only been about twice a year. Still, I hope you enjoy!

OOOOO~BOOTH~OOOOO

"It was such a weird dream." Booth's only thought escaped his lips as he tried to open his eyes. His entire body felt heavy, leaded somehow. His eyes refused to stay completely open as he heard someone say his name.

"Booth. Booth?" He felt the soft hand in his before he could get his neck to turn towards the sound. "You're awake." A woman's laughter hit his ears as she finally came into focus.

Bren.

Maybe she hadn't been a dream after all.

"So real." He murmured, trying to get her to understand, but she didn't listen. She just kept talking.

"Your operation was a success but you reacted poorly to the anesthesia."

Operation? He fought through the haze to recall. For his…brain, he finally remembered.

"You've been in a coma for four days."

A coma? Comas were bad, right? He thought so anyway.

"It took you so long to wake up." She choked.

Booth wanted to reply but he was too distracted by her apparent emotion for him. Her eyes were teary, her voice shook, and the look on her face made something within him clench tighter. He wanted to touch her cheek but instead he just tried to weakly squeeze her hand. He wasn't sure she noticed.

"It felt so real." He repeated again, unable to get past the thought.

"It wasn't real." She looked and sounded… guilty? If it wasn't real, then why was she sitting at his bedside holding his hand? Wasn't she his wife? Wasn't she the woman that he would do anything to protect? He looked at her in confusion.

"Who are you?" He asked.

OOOOO~BRENNAN~OOOOO

Brennan sat in her chair and watched Booth's chest moving up and down. She took her own deep, slow breath, trying to match his. She reassured herself yet again that he was breathing, even if he was still unconscious. Even so, she wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and lay her head on his chest and listen to his breathing. She knew that wasn't a plausible option so instead she did what she always did when she felt emotionally overwhelmed: she opened her briefcase and pulled out her laptop.

It was no surprise that Brennan's new story opened with the lead character climbing into bed with her husband. Brennan read the first page out loud quietly to herself before looking up at Booth. She felt better, even just getting the words on the screen. It was cathartic to be able to imagine all of the things she wanted to do in that moment. She stared at Booth once more as an idea began to take shape. She would write him a story. After all, if she was going to use writing as her release, she might as well make it a story that Booth would want to listen to. Maybe it would give him a reason to wake up.

She already had her opening scene but it was generic, so she closed her eyes and contemplated a world where Booth would love to live. Perhaps another time period, like the forties or fifties. Booth would be a nightclub owner, like Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. She smiled at the mental image of Booth in a fedora. Still, her publisher would never allow such an antiquated plot device. A modern night club would have to do, with the characters of a more retro time. A murder mystery of course (she was Temperance Brennan after all) with a strong detective thread running throughout to give Booth's mind something to investigate while he was sleeping.

Once she had her location, the rest of the story came easily, as if Booth was mentally feeding her ideas as she fast as she could type them. His favorite things wound up hidden within the pages: chicken wings, Mötley Crüe, she even wrote him a three piece suit. As she finished a section, she would edit it and then read it out loud to him. She observed his every breath for some sign that he understood, that he knew she was there, but nothing came. She paused only for checkups from hospital staff and to eat and sleep, but the next day, she was always right back in that chair, writing their story.

After three days, her short story was finally ready to end. She paused and thought back to her opening scene. It was only natural that a baby would follow for a successful and happy husband and wife. And possibly, although she would never admit it, Brennan wanted to take her chance to imagine a shared life between them. After all, what could be more imaginary than the two of them being happily married with a baby on the way?

However, once the last words were typed, Brennan felt differently about the liberties she had taken with the fantasy. She could see now that it was too much to ask for. It felt greedy to write such a ridiculously alternate world for them. Wasn't her current life with Booth enough? Wasn't she perfectly happy solving crimes with her best friend? It was ridiculous to wish for things that would never come true. Wishing only pointed out what you could never have.

Wishing was cruel.

Brennan's finger hovered over the delete key before she finally committed and erased the story in its entirety. She had learned her lesson.

A movement from the bed stirred her from her thoughts and she glanced up. Booth's eyes were flickering open and he was muttering something about a strange dream.

"Booth. Booth?" She rushed up to his bedside. "You're awake." She laughed in relief.

"So real." He whispered. Brennan saw the bewildered expression on his face so she began to quietly explain what had happened, hoping to lessen his confusion.

"Your operation was a success but you reacted poorly to the anesthesia. You've been in a coma for four days. It took you so long to wake up." Her voice quivered as it betrayed the rationality she had hoped for.

"It felt so real." He murmured and somehow, she knew what he meant.

"It wasn't real." She assured him as she touched his arm. He looked at her in confusion, as if her statement didn't register with what he knew to be true.

"Who are you?" He asked. Brennan froze as his quiet question reverberated throughout the room. She finally exhaled sharply, feeling like she had been kicked in the stomach.

Yes, wishing was absolutely cruel.


End file.
